One example of the conventionally-known vehicle body structures is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-213204 (JP 2006-213204 A), where a reinforcing plate, extending from rear suspension arms across a front floor panel to side sills, is fixed to high-rigidity members, such as the front floor panel, side sills and tunnel members. When an impact load has been applied in a rear-to-front direction of the vehicle body, the vehicle body structure disclosed in JP 2006-213204 A can bear the impact load by means of the reinforcing plate fixed to the high-rigidity members. Thus, it is possible to prevent or minimize displacement of the rear suspension arms to thereby minimize an amount of change in alignment relative to the rear suspensions (namely, change in mounting angle of wheel tires relative to the vehicle body).
Among the conventionally-known front vehicle body structures, constituting a front part of the vehicle body structure, are ones in which left and right front side frames have left and right rear front-side-frame end sections extending from their respective rear ends toward the rear of the vehicle body and a front sub frame is provided beneath the left and right front side frames and left and right rear front-side-frame sections. It is conceivable to achieve an enhanced rigidity of the front vehicle body structures by applying to these structures the reinforcing plate disclosed in JP 2006-213204 A.
When an impact load has been applied to the front of the vehicle body, the impact load transmits toward the rear of the vehicle by way of the left and right front side frames and front sub frame. Because the reinforcing plate disclosed in the No. 2006-213204 publication is fixed to the high-rigidity members, such as the front floor panel, side sills and tunnel members, it can secure an enhanced rigidity. However, the high-rigidity side sills and tunnel members are located at positions offset from the left and right front side frames and left and right side frames, and thus, when an impact load has been applied in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, it would be difficult to efficiently bear the impact load by means of the reinforcing plate.